Questioning Loyalty
by RedRoses18
Summary: This is the SEQUEL to Questioning Authority. Just when things were starting to return to normal, Brennan and Booth are thrust back into a world of lies and deceit where they're forced to run for their lives... and run to each other.
1. A Secret

Author's Note: Hey squints! This is the **sequel** to "Questioning Authority"!

Warning… I strongly recommend you read Questioning Authority before this one! If you don't you will probably be mucho confused! The storyline picks up several months after the last scene in Questioning Authority. And I won't spoil that for those who don't know what that is yet... :)

Please review! It makes me write faster!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones… or the characters… just my own far-fetched plotline! haha...

* * *

**Chapter One**

Dr. Temperance Brennan slowly paced around her living room, taking in all of her surroundings. Everything was neat, in order, and the smell of coffee from earlier that morning still lingered in the air. The clock read 7:44, and it was time for work.

_Time for work. _

That felt way too good to say. Brennan had been off work for nearly 4 months now, and it was finally time for her return. Brennan had, begrudgingly enough, been attending physio therapy regularly over the past months and the muscles in her legs had slowly regenerated through her walking exercises. Other than a slightly ragged scar on her forehead, most of which strategically hidden by her auburn waves, the horrors she had experienced in that basement were far behind her.

People from the lab had been intermittently dropping off lab work to keep Brennan busy, but she was literally itching back to the lab. _"If I had my way, I would have been back months ago."_ Brennan said as she shook her head and opened the creaky closet to find the coat she was looking for. But luckily, Brennan hadn't had her way. Upon hearing the news of Cam's betrayal, and ultimate long-term incarceration, Dr. Goodman returned early from his sabbatical to clean up the federal mess Cam had made of the Jeffersonian. Consequently, he had 'lovingly' ordered Brennan on an extended leave of absence to recover from physical and possible emotional trauma. Brennan had been miffed at first, thinking that she deserved to do what she loved after delivering such a condemning testimony, but silently enjoyed escaping the gossip and murmurs echoing around the Jeffersonian regarding the past years' events. And it gave her time for the things in life she had once dismissed…

_Booth_. Their relationship had certainly become exponentially more complicated in light of Cam's actions, but if there was one thing Brennan had learned it was that complicated does not necessarily mean bad. Booth had been truly amazing throughout her recovery, though at times a tad overprotective - though it was to be expected. In the beginning he had spent many nights with her, waiting for her to fall asleep, wanting her to know that he was there. When her casts had been removed he'd been there, literally helping her to her feet. However, at the same time, their relationship had changed. The more strength she regained, the more Temperance found herself pulling away from him again, and to her dismay he began to do the same. He was always there for her, but the word 'love' was never used between them. She knew she was afraid, and she had good reason to be. If Camille Saroyan could be so dishonest, so hurtful, and so destructive, why couldn't Booth?

It's not like she could ever compare the two. Camille was now doing life in prison for not only severely assaulting and kidnapping a coworker, but for compromising the integrity of the workplace she had sacrificed so much for. Booth, on the other hand, had been nothing but loving and caring for her not only in past events, but since the moment they'd met. She knew in her heart that she cared so deeply for him, but it was an emotion too deep and too thwarting to trust.

She grabbed her car keys and glanced in the mirror one last time before heading out the door. She ruffed up her hair in the front and smoothed one wave over the telltale scar on her forehead, as if both hiding her pain on the outside and the inside as well.

"Welcome back, sweetie!!" Angela squealed as she quickly clattered her way across the lab towards Brennan who greeted her with a smile. Zach and Hodgins waved and also called out to Brennan. Angela grabbed her best friend in a hug.

"Angela – I saw you only yesterday!" Brennan managed with a laugh as they pulled away.

"I know, I know! But it's just something about seeing you back here! This place has been like testosterone-central the whole time you've been away!"

Brennan gave her a puzzled look, "But what do hormones have to do with…"

Dr. Goodman cut her off as he got closer to the two of them. "Dr. Brennan, we are so honored to have you back with us. We have truly been at a loss without you!" Goodman said with a warm smile has he shook Brennan's hand and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's good to be back Dr. Goodman. Really good to be back." Temperance said as she returned the smiles of those around her.

* * *

Brennan slowly made her way to her office. And it wasn't her minorly sore legs that slowed her down, it was the number of people stopping her on the way to her office. 

_"Dr. Brennan, welcome back…" _

" Dr. Brennan, we were so shocked to hear…"

"Dr. Brennan, how are you feeling after…"

"Dr. Brennan, it must have been so difficult for you…"

Each statement Temperance responded with a tense but genuine smile, hoping she wouldn't be facing this reaction for the entire day. She finally made it to her office, opened the door quickly and shut it behind her. She leaned her body against the door and buried her face against its wooden panels.

"Welcome back, Bones!" Booth exclaimed as Brennan whirled around with a shriek and placed her hand over her mouth.

"Booth are you trying to scare me to death?" She snapped before breaking into a laugh at the sight in front of her. Booth was sitting in Brennan's desk chair with his legs up on her desk, crossed at the ankles. He had his arms comfortably behind his head and gave her one of his best trademark smiles.

"That depends. Would I get to resuscitate you?" Booth jokingly, tilting his head.

"Only if you want to die too" She retorted as she shook her coat off and draped it over the hook by the door.

"Would you examine my remains?" He continued as he stood and walked toward her.

"I don't remember you harassing me so much last time I was at work." Brennan laughed as he held both of her hands in his.

"Actually, it's not harassment if you like it…" Booth said quietly with a smile.

Brennan retracted her hands and smiled at him as she walked over to her desk. "So do we have a case?" she asked, sitting down.

"Uh no. I just wanted to come see you." Booth said, slightly puzzled. "How's the walking?"

"Oh I'm fine. Sitting is nice though." She said as an awkward silence filled the room.

"Great. So do you have dinner plans?" He asked, hopefully.

"I'll probably just eat what I brought with me. I have a lot to catch up on." She said as she ducked her head down to retrieve a stack of file folders. She picked one off of the top and slipped into her blue Jeffersonian lab coat.

"You can't work all day, the doctor said –"

"Booth I know what the doctor said, and I know what my limits are." She said as she opened the door. "I know what lines not to cross." She said over her shoulder as she left him standing there in her office.

"_What's wrong with her?"_ Booth thought angrily to himself as he started to leave. He'd never cared for a woman so much, but he'd also never been so tortured by one. They'd been through so much together, and she always seemed to be pulling away. She had good reason to, of course, considering what she'd been through, which was why Seeley didn't push. But he couldn't wait forever.

It was then that he noticed a small shiny dot by her office door. He peered at it and then peeled it off. The colour drained from his face: he knew exactly what it was.

* * *

"Cullen don't try to belittle me, I know exactly what this is!" Booth said, his voice raising as he held up the sliver dot, which was now stuck to a scrap of paper. "Why are you spying on her? Is she in trouble?" 

"Booth, this is classified information and I will not be spoken to like –"

"Tell me what you're listening for! How many of these recorders have you planted?"

"Booth, take a seat. There's something you need to know about Dr. Brennan." Cullen said grimly, as Booth quickly shut up and took a seat.

* * *

Several Hours Later

"Hey Booth! Tempe just went to her office if you need her." Angela smiled as she turned to grab a tray with a skull on it.

"Isn't it great that she's working again?" Angela smiled. "I mean, it's just like old times!" She said happily as she walked past him.

"Yeah. Old times." Booth said under his breath. He walked purposefully to Bones' door and paused, running a hand through his short hair. He opened up the door.

"Hey Booth." She smiled, looking up from her computer for a second.

"Hey Bones." He said, heading for her couch. "Have you eaten yet?" He asked, craving the last shred of normalcy that her presence could possibly offer.

"Mmm no." She said, closing up her laptop and leaning back in her chair.

"Um Booth? I'm totally eating my vocabulary here, but can you take me home? My legs are … sore… and I don't think I can drive."

Booth smiled. "It's 'I'm eating my words' not vocabulary, Bones. And of course I'll take you home."

"Thanks." She smiled meekly. She winced as she rose to get her coat. He gently placed his hand on her back and led her out to the garage.

* * *

On the way home, they stopped past the diner for some long awaited food. Brennan waited in the car as Booth went in to pick up their order. Before heading to the Take Out desk, he walked to the back of the restaurant and whipped out his cell phone. 

"Cullen" was the quick reply.

"It's Booth. Look there's _just_ no way –" Booth whispered harshly.

"Are you with her right now?" He asked, cutting him off.

"She's in the car." Booth said gazing out at Bones, who was slowly falling asleep against the window.

"Booth, don't make this personal. We have no choice." Cullen said shortly and hung up, leaving Booth with the deafening dial tone.

* * *

_

* * *

Ooh what's the secret? Confusing… I know… but things will start to make sense in the next chapter… haha at least that's the plan…  
Did you like it? Please review and then I'll post more! _


	2. Crash Into Me

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter! Please review! I warn you that what's about to happen in this chapter is a little… odd… but it will eventually make sense. I'll post more if you review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones! Only the storyline…

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"Bones, we're here." Booth said as he slowly nudged the sleeping woman awake. He would have done anything not to have had to wake her up, anything to let him be able to watch her sleep again.

"I fell asleep" she said, half consciously, as if explaining it to herself. The smell of Thai food seeped into her senses. They walked slowly towards her building, his arm around her waist.

"How bad is the pain?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing my pills can't fix…" She said, loving the amused expression on his face.

"Oh if I had a nickel…" He said, making her laugh.

She unlocked the door to her apartment and switched on the light, and then promptly headed straight to the drawer to fish out her orange medicine bottle. Booth set the take out bag on the counter and started pulling out the Styrofoam containers. He watched her as she downed two of the pills before they both grabbed their respective container and walked to the couch – a common routine they had fallen into over the past few months. They ate mainly in silence, every now and then bringing up the days events.

"Booth?" Brennan asked, once they'd set their containers on her new coffeetable.

"Yup?" He said, looking out the window.

"Why are you mad at me?" She asked, her tone surprising him. He turned to face her, to meet her vulnerable eyes.

He stared at her for a second, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. Before he could respond, she started speaking again, quite quietly.

"I know that since everything has happened… we were becoming closer… and you've been so good to me. I'm sorry if I seem cold… I'm just worried, I'm afraid. You mean… too much to me, and I –" She stopped talking as her voice began to crack.

He stared at the floor and then back to her. Everything in his mind was contradicting itself. He wanted nothing more than to tell her how much she meant to her, but Cullen's earlier words clouded his mind. He was so torn.

All of a sudden he looked back at her and placed his hand on her soft cheek, brushing her hair off her forehead and away from her scar. He leaned in and placed his mouth on hers, kissing her gently. She responded instantly, loosing herself in his gentle touch. They'd waited so long for this, it was undeniable, it was fate. That is, until Seeley pulled away and stood up, running his hand through his hair. No words were exchanged, as he walked to the door. He looked back at her shocked face.

"Seeley?" she whispered, the sound of his first name on her lips nearly killed him on the spot. He said nothing as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

Temperance tossed and turned all night, thoughts of Booth filling her head. She knew she had been pulling away from him, and that he didn't deserve it. But how could this be her fault if he was doing exactly the same thing? 

The kiss. Oh God, that kiss. It hadn't been long, it hadn't been short, it was so sweetly spontaneous. Her lips tingled for so long after which, though she knew it was biologically impossible, gave her some sort of comfort with dealing with his absence. Brennan knew she needed to call Booth, but she finally decided she would wait for him to initiate the unavoidably awkward conversation that such contact would entail.

Temperance was already long awake when her irritating alarm went off. She slapped it with her right hand and slowly got out of bed. Her painkillers had long since worn off and she reached for her bedside drawer to get some more.

She gulped down an entire glass of water with her pills and sat there for a moment, just thinking.  
Booth had been there for her through everything, did she really want to throw all of that away just because she's afraid? _It's perfectly rational to be hesitant_ she convinced herself. Although, as she'd learned over those fateful days so many months ago, the rational answer isn't always the right one.

* * *

"Look, with all due respect sir, your intel must be wrong. Do you know what you're even suggesting?" Booth exclaimed in the FBI office, to a very miffed Cullen. 

"Agent Booth, I will not repeat myself again. I realize this is hard on you, but it's just the way it goes. You've seen the evidence."

Booth rubbed his eyes numbly, trying to stay focused on what Cullen was saying. He hadn't slept that night. He spent so much time sitting by the phone, wondering if he should call Bones and try to explain how much this was killing him, but he knew he couldn't.

"Seeley, look at yourself. Look what this is doing to you. Go home and get some rest. Be at the Jeffersonian for 3PM."

"Do I... do I have to go?" Booth said, nearly childlike. He couldn't fight it anymore.

"Booth, this is a learning experience. Not only do you have to go, but I want you to do it."

* * *

"Sweetie, you look like crap." Angela said, tilting her head as Bones approached the forensic platform. 

"Good morning to you too, Angela." She said stiffly.

"Ooh, sarcasm. You've been hanging around Booth." Hodgins said with a smile and then an attempted nod at Angela.

"Of course she has, they're partners." Zach said mechanically, completely oblivious to his coworker's hints.

Looking up from the microscope and handing a dish to Hodgins, she began to walk towards her office, "Hodgins I need you to run these soil samples and I need the results as soon as you can. Zach, finish thoroughly cleaning the skull and then give it to Angela to run the facial recognition."

"Bren?" Angela called out to Brennan, who didn't even slow down.

* * *

Several Hours Later  
  
"Come on, Bren. I know something's wrong. Have you been taking the meds they gave you? Is physio too hard?" Angela prodded. The two were working around a set of remains on the forensic platform. There was no one else within earshot, so Angela figured it was time to work her girl talk magic. 

"Yes I'm taking them, and I finished physio last week. I'm healed."

"Bren, it's not just your legs and head that needed to heal." Angela said softly.

"I don't do psych---"

"We know. No psychology." Angela said, and Brennan offered a weak smile as she peered over the body in front of them.

"Why is it that when things finally start to make sense, everything falls apart? I can look at remains and tell you so much about that person, yet when it comes to everything else I do.. well, just none of it makes sense." Brennan said quietly, removing her latex gloves and running her hand through her hair.

"Sweetie, is this about Booth?" Angela said quietly, trying not to let her excitement enter her tone of voice.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Temperance said, clearly distracted. Booth had just entered the lab and was walking towards them. Temperance turned around, pretending she hadn't seen him and waited for him to get closer.

"Booth, you look awful. Hey, what's up with all the agents?" Angela said to Booth as she looked behind him. Temperance turned around.

"Hey." She said. Booth didn't respond, his eyes were emotionless and his face was ghastly pale.

He took a slow step towards her and pulled something shiny out of his pocket...

"Temperance Brennan, you have the right to remain silent…"


	3. Take My Hand

Author's Note: Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews!! I'm happy people are actually reading this, and I can't wait to see what you think about the next chapter. Speaking of which, I am officially giving you all a _serious_ angst alert for this one!! Very, very angsty, but all will make sense in due time! Action to follow… ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything remotely related to Bones (well... only the poster in my room…) but I do own the storyline I guess!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"W-what?" She stuttered, her eyes on the handcuffs he was holding.

"…anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law…"

"Booth is this a joke?" Angela said with a raised voice.

"Ms. Montenegro, please back away." One of the agents said, reaching for Angela.

Booth took another step towards Brennan and proceeded to step behind her. It was in that moment that he realized this was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. He'd shot many people, seen gruesome murders, been tortured, but this topped the charts.

"Booth! What are you doing?" Temperance said, turning away from his reach.

_Oh please, Temperance, don't make this harder than it already is. _He thought pleadingly to himself. He grabbed her two arms behind her back and she started kicking and trying to loosen his grip, but to no avail. She felt the cold cuffs on her wrists and she began to resist even harder.

"Booth what's going on! Tell me what's going on!" She yelled, her voice beginning to crack, this was just too much.

Everything was a blur for Booth. He could hear Angela shouting from across the lab where two agents fought hard to restrain her. Zach, Hodgins, and many other workers stopped what they were doing to watch, faces in awe, of what was going on. All of them knew that they could do nothing to help her.

"S-Seeley!" Temperance moaned as she kept fighting against him.

Booth tugged at the cuffs, pretending to restrain her. He pulled her backwards towards him so that her head fell into his chest. "I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair, his voice dripping with emotion.

"Let go of me! Don't you talk to me!" She cried, pulling herself off of him. He led her off of the platform and along out of the lab.

"Angela you have to come get me! I didn't _do_ anything, this is absurd!" Temperance said over her shoulder as she shoved herself away from Booth's unyielding grip on her cuffs.

"Don't talk to them, Bren!" Angela yelled. Zach and Hodgins started in on the other agents now, peppering them with questions and demanding why their friend was being taken into FBI custody.

"Do you people know what she's been through? What she did for you idiots when you couldn't even manage your own security? Her second day back to work…." Hodgins continued to roar on, but neither Booth nor Brennan nor the other agents could hear him once they had passed through the doors of the Jeffersonian.

"Booth I didn't do anything! We're partners! Why c-can't you tell me anything?" Brennan continued.

"Stop talking." Booth said mechanically, staring straight ahead to the line of black SUVs that were awaiting them. He glanced down to her wrists, where he noticed there were red friction burns from the cuffs and several lines of blood. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, silently praying that she would one day forgive him. He noticed that she was limping alternatively from one foot to the other, obviously her legs were hurting.

The agents loaded Brennan up into the SUV. She finally stopped resisting, realizing that it was no good. She was just going to have to talk to Cullen and get this mess – whatever it was – figured out. Besides, she had Goodman, Angela, and a slew of other people who would vouch for her. Clearly Booth was no longer one of those people.

Booth got in beside Brennan and two agents got into the front. They immediately took off, the siren wailing and lights flashing around like lost souls. Brennan could feel Booth's eyes on her, but refused to look at him. Tears welled up into her eyes but she blinked them back; she refused to be weak in front of him.

* * *

"Dr. Temperance Brennan." Cullen said as he entered the interrogation room. Brennan was sitting at a table in the centre of the empty room.

"Took you long enough!" Brennan said angrily. "What's this about?" She demanded, her stare was icy and even; the mixture of pain and adrenaline pulsing from every pore in her body.

"You know why you're here, Dr. Brennan." He replied, returning her stare.

"Excuse me? Your AGENT just arrested me from my WORK without giving me a reason! I could sue! This is unconstitutional. You're going to tell me exactly what's going on and you're going to do it RIGHT NOW." She yelled, a glimmer in Cullen's eyes told her that she'd gotten her point across.

"Alright Dr. Brennan, if you want to play it that way." He said, making a motion towards the double sided mirror, as if signaling for something.

_I bet Booth is on the other side of that mirror_ she thought bitterly to herself. How could she have been so foolish to ever think ---

Her thoughts were interrupted when an agent entered the interrogation room with a brown box. He set it on the table and moved to the corner of the room to observe the next moments. Cullen stood and opened the box, reaching inside for something in a plastic bag. He set it down on the table and Brennan's eyes widened. Cullen reached in many more times, setting on display even more objects in front of her.

"These, as you well know, Dr. Brennan were found in your office one week ago. Your prints are all over these. We know you were working with Saroyan and Potter."

"You think I was in on it? How _dare_ you!" Brennan yelled, shocked at what was happening to her. Before her sat a diamond necklace, an ancient skull, wallets, and countless other pieces of evidence her footage had depicted Cam stealing just months ago. These pieces had never been found – everyone thought that they had been sold on the black market prior to Camille's sentencing.

"The deal went bad, right? You did something to tick Camille off, so she threatens to turn you in? You go all secret agent on her and frame her for everything. She gets John in on it and they decide to give you taste of your own medicine." Cullen started talking faster and faster, claim after claim.

"That is PURE conjecture! How dare you accuse me of –"

"It's not accusing, Dr. Brennan. We have solid proof."

"Like what, my fingerprints? They could have just been transfer!" She retorted.

"We have a full description, confession, everything from Dr. Saroyan and Mr. Potter."

"You talked to them? Of course they're lying! They're trying to get even! Besides, if what you're saying is true why didn't they say anything at the trial?" Brennan demanded, using every ounce of her power to control her temper. This was beyond degrading. Not to mention bringing up things that she'd tried so hard to forget.

"Because they knew that when we found out ourselves you'd get the same punishment, but you'd go through the emotional pain first. You have to deal with lying to everyone you know, yourself, about everything. Plus you're being slapped with obstruction of justice considering everything you said in your testimony was bogus ---"

Questioning her emotional testimony really set Brennan off. She shot out of her chair and grabbed Cullen by the collar, "You _listen_ to me you—" Brennan began, but was cut off when two agents ran into the room and grabbed her violently off of Cullen. One of them pushed her down to the chair, but accidentally missed, sending her straight to the floor. She cried out in pain and the agent backed away. She sat there, lying on the floor gripping the chair and then slowly pulled herself to her feet.

"We'll talk later, Dr. Brennan." Cullen said over his shoulder as he and the two agents left the room. Brennan was left sitting there alone in the chair, tears in her eyes. She looked over to the mirror, hoping that Booth was on the other side.

* * *

Several hours had passed since an agent transferred her to a holding cell. Brennan would not be questioned until the next day and she clearly needed rest – and a lawyer.

Temperance Brennan sat on a small cot, her back pressed up against the wall of the cell that she was in. There wasn't really anything to do, she was just alone with her thoughts. The cell wasn't really furnished at all, and was even complete with bars.

_You know Tempe, this is just one of those moments in your life when you just have to laugh_ she chuckled to herself, breaking the silence of the otherwise empty holding hall. Maybe she was losing it, but this did seem rather funny. I mean, she had finally gotten back to work after sending her boss to jail, the man she thought she was in love with now thinks she's a crazy federal sociopathic thief, and to top it all off she was sitting alone talking to herself in an FBI holding cell. Yup, it was one of those moments.

She stretched her legs out on the cot and moved her body down, allowing her aching head to find solace in the flat, white, standard issue pillow. She couldn't believe the FBI actually spoke to Cam about her, after everything she did. And that Booth actually believed them.  
Thoughts rushing in and out of her head, Temperance Brennan finally allowed herself to succumb to sleep.

Temperance awoke with a start at the sound of a voice. The entire hallway was primarily dark, as 'lights out' had been ages ago. She squinted down at her watch which read 3:35AM.

"Bones?" the voice whispered.

"Booth?" Brennan whispered back, shocked yet mildly relieved. However that relief was quickly overcome by rage.

"Come closer" he whispered back.

"Get away, Booth. I want _nothing_ to do with you." She said, louder than she had meant to.

"Sheesh keep it down there, Bones. A-are you okay? I heard you and Cullen talking… I'm so sorry –"

"I don't want to hear it, Booth. I'm sorry I ever trusted you."

Those words stung Booth, but he quickly put her attitude into perspective. If their positions were switched, he would surely be angry. "Bones, you have to come closer to the bars I need ---"

"And you know what infuriates me the most?" She whispered icily, "That stupid kiss. Is that why you were acting so cold that night? You KNEW then and you didn't say a word. What was that then, just a ploy to keep me from suspecting that you'd be ARRESTING me the next day? You need to go, in the morning I have to meet with a lawyer –"

"Bones would you shut up?" Booth said a little louder. He finally had her attention because her rant seemed to stop. "I know they're wrong. There's just no way. I had to arrest you, I had no choice – it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I needed to convince Cullen that I'm with the FBI through and through. It was the only thing I could do to keep you… safe."

There was a moment of silence until Brennan finally spoke up, "Convince him?" she said in a small voice.

"Look Bones, you're tough but do you actually think I'd believe you were working with Cam the whole time? Come on." He joked.

"Why are you here?" She said, her voice softening a tiny bit.

"Come to the bars and I'll show you." He said. Brennan slowly got up from the squeaky cot and knelt in front of the bars, where she could finally see Booth. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and she could hardly see his face.

"Stay here." He commanded, and she didn't move.

All of a sudden there were 8 beeping noises and then the bars opened right in front of her, clanking all the way.

"Booth are you _INSANE_?" she said, her voice breaking from a whisper to full tone.

"I'm getting you out of here. The FBI just want someone to blame, and it's not going to be my Bones. We'll figure this out on our own." He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet.

"BOOTH! You're breaking me out of federal custody! You could loose your job! Go to jail! And we don't know that they won't find me innocent on their own!" she was beginning to get extremely nervous.

"I'm taking that chance. You know I'd do anything… well you just know. Do you trust me?" He said, extending his hand.

_Trust_. Trust was a strange thing. If she'd been asked this 10 minutes ago, the answer certainly would have been negative; if there was anything that the last year had taught her it was that trust could vanish in a single moment. But there was something else this ordeal had taught her as well – trust meant a leap of faith.

She placed his hand in his and they began to run.

There was no turning back now.

* * *

_I told you it was angsty... but did you like it? Anyway, I would LOVE for you to review, and if you do I will post more!!_


	4. No Turning Back

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reviewing!!! It means so much that people are actually reading this and giving feedback! I would LOVE to hear what you think about this chapter – if you review I'll post more!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, though I certainly wish I did! For now I only have this storyline…

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Once they had made it safely out of the holding cell wing, Booth and Brennan pressed their bodies up against a wall, looking around. "Booth – what about the cameras?" She whispered, nodding up at one of the many black devices perched in the hallways.

"I knocked out the ones in the cell block before I came for you, but I couldn't get the others. They'll figure out that the cameras are out soon, so we'd better hurry." Suddenly they heard footsteps so they both crouched into an alcoved doorway.

The steps got closer and closer, and Brennan squeezed her eyes closed tightly. Then, just as quickly as they had come, the footsteps started to move away from them until there was no sound in the hallway once again.

"I could only get the cameras in the cell block though. Once we turn this corner, they can see us." He continued, staring into her eyes.

"Booth, are you sure you want to do this?" she whispered, hoping that her tone did not convey the fear coursing through her body.

"You jump I jump" he said with a smile.

"I don't know what –"

"It's Titanic, Bones. Of course I'm sure. You ready to run?" He asked, grasping her hand.

"Let's jump." She said firmly, and they both broke into a run around the corner.

They made their way through the mazes of hallways and were finally in the home stretch when they heard a loud buzzing noise.

Both Booth and Brennan were too focused on their task to even react to the alarm, they were intent on the large glass doors in front of them. Brennan's heart was in her throat as she saw the doors slowly begin to close, most likely a security measure. It seemed as if everything was happening in slow motion. Booth jumped through the opening as they doors were closing and pulled Brennan in behind him. Brennan literally had to twist her body around to squeeze through – her right foot barely making it out of the tiny opening that quickly disappeared. The two fugitives stopped for a brief second to see swarms of security guards running towards the door, punching in some kind of password.

Booth yanked Brennan away from the door and the two continued running down the sidewalk into the dead of night. They ran for what seemed to be ages, though it was probably only a few minutes.

"Booth" Brennan wheezed as their feet slammed into the pavement, one by one, creating a bizarre rhythm. "Me legs…" she continued. She hated to show weakness considering what Booth was risking for her, but the pain was almost unbearable and she knew she couldn't last much longer. She didn't want to slow him down.

Without hesitating, Booth scooped Brennan up in his arms and continued to run. Brennan didn't even protest, just accepted his help and clenched her eyes shut at the sound of wailing sirens. She felt so safe and secure in his arms, and for a moment she allowed herself to forget that he was the one who had arrested her. Trust, though in its most tentative form, was all she had to go on now.

Booth turned and ran towards a small alley way where a car she had never seen before was parked. Booth set her down on the ground and opened the door for her, "Jump in!" he said as he ran around to the driver's side.

They barely had their seatbelts fastened as Booth sped out of the alley way and on to the main road. He drove erratically, yet cleanly enough not to cause suspicion from the swarms of police cars that kept whizzing past them. Neither Booth nor Brennan said a word – it was as if both of them were holding their breath.

* * *

"He did WHAT?!" Cullen yelled into his phone, which had irritatingly awoken him at nearly 4:00 in the morning – not a good start. 

"We're sorry sir, they caught us off guard. He must have disabled the cameras in the holding area –"

"What's their status?" Cullen barked, as he left his bedroom and started pacing around in his living room.

"Both Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan are… they're gone sir. We have teams out patrolling the entire DC area, we have cameras on all of the freeways searching for Agent Booth's SUV –"

"FIND THEM! That's an order!" Cullen yelled as he slammed his cell phone shut.

"Damn you Seeley. You'll pay for this." He muttered as he prepared to go face the mess awaiting him at the Hoover building.

* * *

A rusty brown car booted down the freeway, on its way out of the DC area. Booth had purchased the car from a dingy used-car dealership for $800 cash the morning before he had to arrest Bones. He had made up his mind that he was going to help her, and that disappearing while they figured things out for themselves was the only way. 

Once it seemed that, for now, they had outrun their FBI pursuers, Brennan finally broke the silence.

"So where do we go? We can't run forever…" she said tentatively. She didn't want to sound whiny, but she was growing more and more nervous about the repercussions of escaping federal custody – for her as well as for Booth.

"We drive for as long as we can, then find some out of the way motel? I guess I hadn't thought about it so much… We just need to get somewhere far enough away that they can't find us, but close enough so we can work on proving you innocent."

"But how are we going to do that Booth?! My fingerprints were added to that evidence, Cam planted it in my office, and I have absolutely no tangible explanation as to how it got there! There's nothing to find. And becoming a fugitive doesn't exactly make me look less guilty!"

"Look Bones, you're not going to jail. You're just not. We just need to think this through…" Booth said, tapping the steering wheel nervously as another police car sped past them and then out of sight along the freeway.

"What about Angela? Or maybe Goodman could –"

"No we can't contact anyone unless we absolutely have to." He said, cutting her off as he glanced again nervously into the rear view mirror.

They drove for another ten minutes or so, in silence.

"Booth?" Brennan finally said, turning her head from the window to face him.

"Yeah?" He responded, returning her stare for a moment before returning his gaze to the road.

"That night in my apartment… did you know then?" She asked tentatively, unsure as to when to bring this topic up. She couldn't logically make sense of the kiss, and it was driving her crazy.

Seeley sighed and paused for a moment. "Yeah." He finally said. "But I knew they were wrong. I hated myself for not warning you, but I knew I couldn't help you even if I did considering they were watching you like a hawk."

Brennan just nodded her head and looked out the window, hardly able to see anything in the darkness other than the stale blue light of the overhead road lamps.

"But I meant it. That kiss, I mean. I just hope… I hope it didn't upset you." He said, suddenly at a loss for words. The two of them had spent so much time together, that it seemed odd that all of a sudden everything seemed so awkward.

"It didn't." She whispered to him, not taking her eyes off the scenery whipping past them in their little brown car.

* * *

Booth was absently tapping at the steering wheel when he glanced at the glowing green light of the dashboard clock. They had now been driving for nearly four hours, and had effectively fled the DC area. He glanced over at Bones. They hadn't spoken very much throughout the trip – both lost in their own thoughts, trying to find a way to make all of this right. By the sound of her steady breathing, he guessed she had fallen asleep. He glanced over at her again, not wanting to take too much focus off the road – the last thing they needed was to crash. Her face was gently resting on the window and her hands abandoned gracefully on her lap. 

Booth sighed and looked back through the windshield to the empty road in front of him when he read a shiny green highway sign, "MOTEL: 5 MILES". Satisfied that they were far enough from the search radius for now, he made a decision to pull off to that motel so he and Bones could get some decent rest before they did … _Well whatever it is we're gonna do_ he thought to himself. They needed a plan, and they needed one fast.

"Bones. Hey, wake up…" Booth said gently as he touched her shoulder.

"Where?..." She said as she slowly awoke and ran her hand through her wavy mess of hair.

"We're about 4 hours from DC, basically in the middle of no where. I figured we should rest and then come up with a plan." Booth said as he parked the car on the motel lot.

"Do you think it's safe to stop? I mean, it hasn't been that long."

"You know I wouldn't take a chance if it wasn't. As of now, the FBI is searching for my SUV which they'll never find, plus we won't be here for long." He said as he took the keys out of the ignition.

"We'll figure this out." He said as he grazed her hand with his, lingering for just a moment. "Now stay in the car, you here me? And keep these keys." He said as he finally left the car to go check in.

Temperance sat in the empty car, the cold air which had entered the car when Seeley left surrounded her. She shivered and absently played with the keys that he had handed her. _I need to talk to Cam_. she thought to herself. _I need to make this right before Booth gets in more trouble than he already is. He doesn't deserve this…

* * *

_

The tin bells above the door sang to Booth as he entered the motel lobby. It room smelt like stale coffee and printer ink, and a balding man in his late fifties sat behind a desk and gave Booth a sleazy grin.

"Hey buddy, what can I do for ya?" The man said, clicking off his mini tv set.

"Hey. I'm looking for a room, and we'll only be staying for one day." Booth said, drumming on the desk staying as normal and friendly as possible.

"Buddy, we're pretty booked." He said with a frown, flipping though a ratty old records book.

"Are you serious?" Booth said, amazed that a place in the middle of no where would actually be busy!

"Yeah man, we're right smack between two huge cities, so we get a whole lotta over-nighters. But… it looks like you may be in luck." He said as he pulled a key from a side drawer. "How many are you packin'?" He asked.

Booth looked at him confusedly for a minute and then held up two fingers, "Two" he said.

"Yup, you're in luck. I got one room, two single beds. Now, uh –" the man glanced around "you're not with a little lady are ya? Because if you're lookin' for a double I can't help –"

Booth cut him off, choosing not to answer the man. "How much do I owe you?" Booth asked, pulling out his wallet.

* * *

Once Booth had forked over his cash, he walked back out to the car and opened up Bones' door for her. She didn't budge. 

"Seeley, I think I have to go back. I want you to stay here, I don't think you should be near me. You'll lose your job, lose Parker, go to jail…" Her voice trailed off and she stared intently down at the keys in her hands, as if they held some kind of answer.

"Hey." He said, putting his hand on her arm. "You're coming in, and I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever. Now come on, we have to get some sleep." He said as she cautiously exited the car.

Booth and Brennan entered the motel from the side door, which was closer to their room number, and saved Brennan from having to meet 'buddy' at the front desk.

"Home sweet home" Booth said sarcastically as he jiggled the lock and they entered the room, closing the door behind her. Temperance glanced around the room, finding herself slightly disappointed at the two single beds in front of them. _Snap out of it Brennan, this isn't the time or the place._

"It's uh – it's all they had." Booth said, trying to convey an unsaid message to Brennan, which was clearly lost on her.

Brennan, lost in thought, headed to the washroom to wash her face. When she returned, she saw Booth sprawled out on the bed closest to the door, with both of his shoes kicked off on the floor and his jacket and dress shirt draped over a makeshift chair. "I took the liberty of giving you the bed with the view" Booth joked as he nodded over to the bed closest the window, which overlooked the primarily empty highway.

"Thanks" she smiled tentatively as she kicked off her shoes and pulled back the rough bedspread. "For everything, I mean… just, thanks." she said as she buried her head into the pillow.

"Goodnight, Bones" Booth said as he switched off the desk lamp.

* * *

Though Booth was sure he had never been so exhausted in his life, his mind would not shut off. He couldn't fall asleep, all he could think about was their next move. Seeley wasn't sure how much time had passed when he heard ragged breathing coming from the small bed beside his. His eyes now adjusted to the scarce light in the room, Booth could see that Temperance was trembling – her body turned away from him and towards the window. 

"Bones?" he whispered into the darkness, unsure if she was even awake.

A few moments passed, and just when he was about to whisper again, he heard a small voice.

"Seeley?" she paused, "Come to me." This was all Booth had to hear. He silently got out of his bed and crawled into hers, their two bodies almost unable to fit on the tiny mattress. He moved his body to cup hers, his arms protectively circling her as he placed his head in her soft hair. Temperance slowly relaxed into his embrace and it was then, and only then, that they both allowed themselves to surrender to sleep.

* * *

_Did you like it? Review and I'll post more! You know how to make me happy! ;)_


	5. Tangled Sheets and Discussions

Author's Note:  
Thank you to the people who took the time to review!  
Please review this chapter… it keeps me writing!  
Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the storyline, the rest is on my wishlist…

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"_In other news today, the FBI is searching for a fugitive who escaped federal custody with the help of a disloyal federal agent."  
_  
"Turn that up!" Angela cried to Jack from the kitchen as she bolted into the living room. Hodgins had decided to have Angela over for the night to settle her down after such a dramatic day. It had been hard on everyone, seeing their friend and colleague dragged away by her partner. Plus they'd still heard nothing.

_"Dr. Temperance Brennan, a renowned forensic anthropologist and author, is facing multiple theft charges in relation to the Saroyan/Potter case which was closed nearly five months ago."_

Angela and Hodgins watched without blinking as one of Brennan's publicity photos flashed on the screen.

"What do they mean escaped?" Hodgins whispered. "Shhh!!" Angela hushed as she turned up the tv even louder.

_"Dr. Brennan escaped from her holding cell late last night with the help of an agent whose name is being kept confidential at this time. Their whereabouts are currently unknown, but multiple FBI teams are conducting thorough searches. Dr. Brennan poses no direct threat to the public, but notify FBI immediately if you have any idea of her whereabouts."_

"Did you HEAR that?? What was she thinking? And that agent HAS to be Booth!" Angela said as she paced around Hodgins' living room as he turned off the tv.

"This can't be good, there's no way they can outrun the FBI." Hodgins said as he watched his frantic girlfriend pace the room.

"They ARE the FBI!" Angela said as she threw up her hands. "I wonder where they are, is there anything we can do?" There was silence for a few moments when Angela grinned slightly, "You know, it's kind of romantic. He has to arrest her… he breaks her out… two fugitives on the run…"

"Angela are you kidding? They are gonna be grilled when they get caught." Hodgins said, shaking his head.

"You mean IF they get caught."

* * *

"Director Cullen?" An agent asked as he poked his head into his boss' office.

"What is it? Do you have any leads?"

"Not exactly, sir. We located Agent Booth's SUV parked at a campsite outside the DC area. The engine was stone cold. There's no sign of any activity. We have agents performing a thorough search of the campsite."

Cullen rubbed his temples with his hands and leaned back in his chair.

"_Damn it, Seeley_." Cullen muttered as the other agent left the office.

* * *

Brennan was the first to awake as she felt a narrow beam of sunlight across her eyelids. She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of her whereabouts, when she felt a large arm wrapped around her and a body – Booth's body – curved into hers like a puzzle piece. The dingy single bed was barely large enough to hold them both, but Temperance had never felt so inherently comfortable in her entire life. She closed her eyes to savor a moment of peace before allowing herself to focus on the thwarting task at hand, when she felt Booth stir slightly beside her.

"Hey" he whispered into the back of her neck, his breath sending tingles down her spine.

"Good morning" Brennan returned as she twisted her head so that she could see him better. Booth tried to accommodate the movement but overestimated the amount of room behind him on the bed and tried to resist falling down to the floor. It was futile, and before Booth knew what hit him, he was sprawled on the floor beside the bed with his right leg tangled in a blanket.

Brennan tried to stifle a laugh as she peered over the edge of the bed. Once she saw the lopsided grin on his face, knowing that he hadn't been hurt in the unexpected tumble, Brennan began laughing uncontrollably. She buried her head into the mattress where seconds ago Booth had inhabited and continued to laugh.

"Oh oh so you think that's really funny do you?" Booth said teasingly as he carefully got up and knelt in front of Brennan's bed, extending his arms to tickle her around her middle. Her body twitched at his touch, trying to prevent his tickles, but to no avail. They stopped after a few moments and Brennan peered up at Booth.

"Smooth groove, Agent Booth." She teased as she wiped her wavy hair away from her face.  
"It's smooth move, Bones" he grinned as he brought his face closer to hers, still kneeling on the floor in front of her bed, admiring the tousled beauty splayed upon it.

The smile slowly disappearing from her face, Brennan averted her eyes and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Booth could see by the look in her eyes, that they'd reentered the reality of their predicament. "So what now?" she said "Do we hide out here? Try to get back to DC?" she sighed slightly and rolled onto her back, staring up at the slightly yellow ceiling.

"I've been thinking" Booth began, "I think we need to bring someone else in on this. We can't even use a cell phone without them tracking us, and what we need to do is somehow get to Cam."

"Booth, it's bad enough having to put you in this situation let alone someone who doesn't even volunteer. We can't ask that of anyone."

Booth sighed and their thoughts filled the empty silence. "We don't have a choice." He finished just as Brennan got up and headed towards the shower.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Brennan exited the bathroom wearing the same clothes as the day before, but her wet hair was tied up into a messy, dripping bun. She wore no makeup, but Booth was shocked at her natural beauty – as he was nearly every moment he looked at her.

"Breakfast, Bones" he said as he handed her a coffee in a Styrofoam cup and a stodgy muffin. She thanked him and took a seat on the bed opposite his as they started in on their meal.

"The coffee tastes like urine, but I guess fugitives can't be choosers…" Booth said as he peeled the wrapper off his muffin.

"So is the urine comparison based on personal experience or pure conjecture?" Bones said mockingly as she took a swig of the questionably dark liquid.

"Always the funny one." Booth said shaking his head.

"Oh I always thought that was your job." She said with a teasing tilt to the head.

Booth swallowed the last of his muffin and walked towards the shower, stretching out his neck and arms. "Man that bed's gonna be the death of me. You know, on the off chance that the coffee or Cullen doesn't kill me." He said as he shut the door with a grin.

Brennan heard the water running and backed up against the headboard of the bed. This was such a bizarre situation: in this room, in this place. Temperance considered just getting up and running. She could leave Booth here, take the car, and disappear – she couldn't bear the thought of him going to jail because of her.

_It's too late for that now_ she thought to herself as she thoughtfully rubbed the cuts on her wrists where her handcuffs had once been. The only way to get her and Booth out of this mess was to get a third person in on it. And she knew exactly who that person had to be.

* * *

"…In conclusion, I realize the past few days have been very disturbing to each and every one of us and I urge you to talk to either myself or Deputy Director Cullen if you have any knowledge as to the whereabouts of Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth. This is a difficult time for all of us, but I am confident that justice will prevail. Thank you for your time." Dr. Goodman's voice ceased to bellow over the PA system in the Jeffersonian, leaving behind it a stony silence. Moment by moment, people started to move around and talk again – each getting back to their work. Everyone, that is, except for Angela Montenegro.

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and decided to take a walk to clear her head. In past days, if she'd ever felt so alone she'd have gone straight to Brennan's office – but that was certainly not an option anymore. Yellow tape blocked off the office door, and there were still several agents poking through her best friend's belongings.

Instead, Angela walked absently to the empty women's washroom, where she found solace sitting on the floor by the sink.

Any other day, she'd have never been so vulnerable.

Any other day, she'd be bouncing off the walls teasing Brennan and Booth.

Any other day, she'd be flirting with Hodgins.

This was none of those days.

Just as she was about to hoist herself off the floor and confront the real world once again, she felt her cell phone vibrate against her side.

"This is Angela." She said, shocked at the hollowness of her words.

"Angela, do not react to my voice."

Angela shot up from the floor and inwardly squealed.

"Are you alright?" Angela whispered. "It's okay, I'm alone. No one can hear me."

"Booth and I are fine. Look Angela, everything they're saying is crazy –"

"I know sweetie! I know you didn't do those things!" Angela replied assuredly, her heart thumping in her chest.

"Angela I know I'm asking for a lot. I – we'll – completely understand if you don't want to do this but –"

"Sweetie, whatever it is! I'm there!"

"You have to understand, if you're caught it would mean – "

"I know, I know. Big trouble. So worth it! When have I ever let you down?" Angela said, her playful tone returning.

"Never." Angela could hear to smile in her friend's voice.

"Okay, this is what I need you to do…"

* * *

"Dr. Goodman, may I speak to you for a moment?" Angela asked as she knocked on his thick wooden door.

"Ms. Montenegro, of course. Come in!" Goodman said, startled to see Angela, whom he had assumed had taken time off in light of the past days' events.

"Thank you sir."

"Clearly I assume you are as shocked as I am of… the current situation."

"Yes, sir."

"Ms. Montenegro, I must ask. Are you here to report on Dr.Brennan's whereabouts?" Goodman asked as he leaned over his desk a tiny bit towards Angela.

"No sir, I'm as shocked as you. But there's one thing I would like to request that I think could aid in the investigation."

"And what is that?" Goodman asked, his eyebrows knotting.

"I would like to request a visitation with Dr. Saroyan."

* * *

"Do you think we did the right thing?" Brennan asked, looking up at her partner who was curled up on the bed opposite her own.

"We didn't have a choice. I know we can count on Angela." Booth said without hesitating.

"I know. It's just… I feel like I'm dragging everyone into this. A week ago everything was fine, and now…" her voice trailed off as she rolled over onto her back, her eyes staring up at the slightly yellowed stucco ceiling.

"No, a week ago everything was not fine. A week ago all of this was in the works. Tempe, they're going to pay for this. And when they do, and only then, everything will be fine."

Brennan sighed and stretched out her legs. It had been nearly 48 hours since her last dose of pain medication and she was really starting to feel it – not that she'd mention that to Booth. He had enough to deal with right now.

* * *

"… And so, Director Cullen, Ms. Montenegro believes that her previous working relationship might encourage Dr. Saroyan to embellish on her previous dealings with Dr. Brennan. If Dr. Brennan truly was, at some point, an accomplice of Dr. Saroyan, there may be information pertaining to Dr. Brennan's current location and intent."

"I must admit, Dr. Goodman, I am quite skeptical of your theory. Dr. Saroyan hasn't been allowed to speak to anyone other than my agents and the prison staff since her incarceration. And do you think there's anything we can actually get from her?" Cullen said, leaning back into his chair.

"I choose not to speculate, sir, but I feel that if there's anything that Dr. Saroyan can give us – Ms. Montenegro is the one to harvest that information. She has the necessary people skills, a history –"

"And you're sure Ms. Montenegro can be trusted?"

"Oh of course. I can honestly say she is as shocked as I am in this matter. And, like all of us, Ms. Montenegro wants justice to be served. Whatever the case may be."

"Alright, Dr. Goodman. I can grant Ms. Montenegro an audience with Dr. Saroyan. But just a short one. If it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, she's out." 

* * *

The buzzing and clanking of the large metal gate made Angela shudder a tiny bit. She dug her hands into her pockets, grasping her cell phone through the thin material of her sweater – holding it like a lifeline.

"Right this way, ma'am." The guard directed. "You have fifteen minutes." Angela thanked the guard and proceeded down the hallway when she reached Camille's cell.

"Hello, Angela." 

* * *

_Oooh... cue the music.  
Okay, so what did you think? PLEASE review!! If you do, then I'll post more! How's that for a proposition?_


	6. Transfer of Truth

A/N: Hey guys – sorry it took me so long to post! My ffnet account went a little wacko so I couldn't post or get messages or anything!  
Here is a summary of everything that's happened so far, in case you need a refresher:

Previously: This story picks up months after the end of Questioning Authority. Before Cam was caught, she doctored evidence to frame Brennan. The evidence was found by the FBI and Booth was forced to arrest Brennan himself. That night in the holding cell, Booth came to Brennan and told her that though it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, he had to arrest her to gain Cullen's trust. He then surprised Brennan by opening her cell and breaking her out. The two made a run for it and made it out of the Hoover Building; the FBI still hot on their trail. Booth had bought a used car which was hidden in an alleyway. He and Brennan drove far out of sight, while trying to plan their next move. Everyone is shocked by the allegations against Brennan, and what Booth did by breaking her out of federal custody. Later, using a payphone, Brennan contacts a very shocked Angela and asks for her help in talking to Cam. Angela eagerly complies and goes to visit Cam in prison. Without alerting the attention of the guards and without having the security cameras pick up the sound, Angela tells Cam that in return for a statement from her explaining that she doctored the evidence, Angela will encourage Cullen to place Cam in a minimum security penitentiary. Cam agrees, secretly thinking that a minimum security prison will allow her the freedom to escape. Booth and Brennan are still fugitives on the run, and the only person who can free them is the woman who put them in this situation in the first place. All they have now is each other, and Booth's confession of his feelings for Brennan will surely bring them closer – hopefully before it's too late.

_Whew_!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones! STILL! I mean really, what's taking Santa so long?  
All I own is my far fetched story line…

* * *

**Chapter Six  
**

Angela stared blankly at the woman before her. Cam's eyes were very dark and her cheeks were sunken into her face, making her cheekbones jut out sharply. She clearly had lost weight, but there was a presence about her that had not changed. Still cool and professional, still calm and collected.

"Hello, Angela." Cam repeated, drawing a step closer to the bars on her cell. She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Hello Dr. Saroyan." Angela nodded, trying her best to keep her voice steady. What this woman had done to Brennan was unthinkable, and now to put her in the position she is now? '_I hope she rots in jail…'_ Angela thought to herself. But before she does, I'm going to squeeze as much info out of her as I can.

"So how is Dr. Brennan these days?" Cam asked, a sickly hint of a smirk danced upon her lips.

"You don't get to ask that question." Angela shot back. "But what I do need to know, is how you managed to frame her!"

Cam crossed her arms across her waist and stared at Angela. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Angela dug her hand back into the pocket of her sweater and flipped her cell phone open. She pressed the open phone up against the material and blindly hit a button.

_Camille. Don't react to this message. The camera will not pick up this sound if it remains pointed directly at you. I am here because I need your help. I know you don't care, but Brennan and Booth are in great danger and you hold the key. In return, I have something that you will want. I can get you moved to minimum security and try to help you flee the country, but in return I need a written confession saying that you tampered with that evidence and set Brennan up. This will free Brennan, and it will get you as far from us as possible. If you agree to this proposition, I need you to blink at me twice._

While the message was playing, Angela rambled on and on about Brennan's escape – her rambles meant to divert the attention of any member of the security team listening in on the conversation. Cam's expression remained the same, completely unfazed by the proposition at hand. When the cell phone recording had finished, Angela waited patiently for any kind of response.

_'Please'_, Angela plead silently to herself, this is our only hope…

And then Cam blinked twice.

* * *

Moments later, Angela nodded her head and exited the hallway, leaving Camille to her own thoughts. 'It's better than nothing.' Cam thought to herself as she sat on the cold steel bed in her cell. 'Either way, I hold the key. Either flee the country, or Brennan and Booth get to rot in jail too. I have nothing to lose… nothing to lose…' 

Hours passed, and Camille lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. There was a loud clanking sound of the metal door, and she sat up curiously.

"Saroyan. Get up. You're being transferred."

* * *

The door of their room opened and Booth entered, grabbing his gun and reaching for his jacket. "Booth? Booth what's wrong?" Bones asked, climbing up from her seat by the window. 

"I think he's on to us. The man at the desk. We gotta move." Booth said quietly, trying to keep his anxiety under wraps. He had just walked past the front desk and saw the creepy old man buried behind a newspaper whose cover displayed large pictures of both he and Bones, the caption read 'FBI FUGITIVES'.

Brennan nodded her head and got up from the chair. Having done so too quickly, she promptly whimpered and sat back down.

"What is it? What's the matter?" Booth said worriedly, walking towards her.

"It's… it's nothing. Just got up too quickly, that's all. Come on, we have to go."

"It's your legs isn't it? You haven't had your meds in over 24 hours –"

"Booth, I'm _fine_. Now we have to go!" Brennan said, getting up gingerly and forcing herself not to wince. Booth studied her for a moment and then placed her hand on the small of her back, guiding her out the door. 'The sooner we get through with this, the better…' he thought.

* * *

Booth and Brennan whipped down the highway in their little brown car, completely oblivious to the FBI agents who swarmed the motel just an hour after the two fugitives fled. They were on their way further out of DC, just driving as far away as they could from their pursuers. 

"When do you think we should call Angela?" Booth asked, glancing in his rear view mirror for the third time in one minute.

"We should wait until nightfall and then find another pay phone… Give her as much time as possible." Brennan said, absently playing with the zipper on her sweater.

"Yeah." Booth agreed. "Do you think she'll really do it? I mean, it's a lot to ask."

"She'll do it. I know she will." Brennan said softly. Booth nodded his head and stared out onto the open road.

"I have a question." Brennan said finally, looking out the window.

"Shoot." Booth replied, which resulted in a confused look from Brennan. "I mean, go on." He clarified.

The car was silent for a moment again, until Brennan finally asked, "Why did you kiss me?"

Booth hesitated for a while. He knew Brennan was always one to be blunt, but he didn't exactly picture having this conversation while driving in the middle of no where. "I kissed you… I kissed you because I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to do it again." Booth tried. Articulating his intentions to Brennan was proving to be extremely difficult.

"Because you were going to arrest me." Brennan said flatly.

"Arresting you was the only thing I could do to keep you safe. I needed Cullen's trust. But look, this is beside the point. I kissed you because I've wanted to since the moment I met you... I kissed you because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you…" his voice trailed off. "I kissed you because you're the only thing that keeps me going…"

Brennan's eyes widened slightly and she gazed at Booth. She'd never met anyone who had driven her so crazy yet met so much. "Booth –" she began.

"No, look, I know I know. I'm crossing the line. But we crossed that line ages ago, and you know it. When I think back to that day when I realized you were missing, I swore to myself that when I found you I'd tell you everything –"

"Booth…"

"And I was a fool and I didn't. But I'll never take that chance again."

"Booth…" Brennan whispered, resting her head against Booth's shoulder in the very cramped car. "I like being on this side of the line…"

* * *

"Sir, Camille Saroyan has been moved to Minimum security." 

"What? Whose idea was that?" Cullen asked, straightening up in his black leather chair.

"We were encouraged to do so on the grounds that Saroyan would be more open and available for questioning. She poses no violent threat, has no substance abuse history, so there's really no reason –"

"I want at least two agents at the facility at all times. Have you heard from Montenegro?" Cullen asked.

"Yes, sir. No direct intel was gathered from their visitation, but I think she should try again. Minimum might be more conducive to Saroyan's cooperation. It's a longshot, but any lead we can get –"

"Contact me if there's any news." The agent nodded briskly and left the office.

"You can't run forever, Seeley.' Cullen thought to himself as he reached for his gun and holster and headed out the door.

* * *

"Nice work, Montenegro. You certainly know how to make a girl feel at home." Cam said in a low voice, taking in her surroundings. The two women sat at a table in the visiting room of the minimum security prison Cam had been moved to. It was such a stark contrast to life in maximum security – there was not even a guard within earshot of the visiting room. With that said, it certainly wasn't home. Cam sat in the steel chair clad in her orange jumpsuit which made her skin glow with an odd pallor. Her arms were crossed across her chest and she tipped her head back, stretching the sore muscles in her neck. 

"I'm not doing this for you. Now write, we had a deal." Angela said without emotion – which was odd for her. She shoved a piece of paper and a pen in front of Cam, and glanced around at the guards.

Cam stared blankly at the sheet of paper and returned her eyes up to Angela's.

"Don't even think about backing out Cam. I got Cullen to move you here, and you know how easy it'll be for me to tell him that you're a huge risk. It'll just take a phone call and you'll be back on your steel bed, where you deserve to be." Angela threatened.

Cam smirked, "I always thought you were the emotional one, Angela."

"I am emotional. This is me being emotional. Now pick up the freaking pen and free my friends!" Angela said, her voice a deathly whisper.

Taking another glance up at Angela, Cam lifted the pen and began to write.

* * *

Booth flicked his right side indicator on and slowly eased into the exit lane. They'd been driving for hours now, the hours broken up by long conversations, thoughtful silences, and the ever present sprinkling of bickering. Night had fallen long ago, and the highway was nearly vacant. Blackness engulfed their tiny car, their headlights the only testament to their existence on the long road. 

Both Booth and Brennan had decided that motels were too risky now, and they were just going to have to camp out in the car somewhere. When Booth had seen the sign for the Picnic Rest Stop, he knew it would be the perfect place.

Booth slowed his speed as they approached the rest stop. It was almost completely hidden by trees, and was clearly not every often visited. There was a large forested area, two picnic tables, a payphone, and an ominous looking outhouse. There was a yellowish lamp on the parking lot, which flickered on an off. Deciding not to take any chances, Booth drove the car over the parking lot and continued driving through the grass, finally parking the vehicle in the forested area amongst the trees.

"Home sweet home…" Booth said with a strange smile, glancing at Brennan.

Brennan rolled her eyes and opened up her car door. "I'm going to go use the payphone by the parking lot." Brennan said, stretching her immeasurably sore legs and shutting the door. "Angela should have news by now."

"I'll go on a hunt for vending machines… seeing as how we can't exactly make our way to a grocery store." Booth said. Brennan smiled and started to walk until Booth called out again.

"Bones, wait a minute. Here, take this." He said, extending his hand which held a black handgun.

"Oh, so now I get a gun?" she said, tucking the gun into the back of her jeans.

"Well you know, it goes with the whole fugitive image." He joked. "Be safe!" He called after her.

* * *

Brennan approached the telephone booth and inserted the quarters. The coins caught the light from the lamp and flickered and twinkled in the otherwise dark booth. 

The phone rang a few times until someone finally picked up.

"Sweetie?" Angela whispered.

"Hey Ange, it's me. Are you alone?"

"Yes, I just got home. How are you, are you too okay?" Angela asked worriedly.

"We're fine, but will be a lot better if we can ever get back to DC. Listen, did you speak to her?"

"I got it Bren, you're a free woman. Well… eventually. I convinced Cullen to move her to minimum, and the guards didn't see her writing the note. I have it in my hands right now, I was just on my way to bring it to Cullen."

If Brennan believed in God, she would have praised him at that exact moment. "Angela, thank you. Really, thank you."

"You know I'd do anything for you two. But this still won't clear you, and especially not Booth. You broke out of FBI custody sweetie… Booth's been listed as a dark agent."

"I know. I don't know what we'll do, but we're working on –"

"Sweetie, can I call you back? Cullen's number just came up on call waiting. I want to tell him about this and see if he has news."

"Okay sure, I'll wait right here." The line went dead and Brennan hung up the phone. She glanced up and saw Booth walking towards the payphone, with two crinkly bags in his hands.

"Regular or All-Dressed?" he asked, showing off his newfound treasures.

Without answering him, Brennan broke out into a smile. "Booth, Ange got Cam to write a statement saying she set me up."

"That's great!" He said, retuning her smile and kissing her on the cheek.

"But… we still can't go back. Breaking out of custody… that's not exactly something the FBI's gonna let go."

Booth nodded his head, deep in thought. "We'll figure it out, we always do."

Just then the phone booth let out a shrill cry, startling both Booth and Brennan.

"That'll be Angela, she said she'd call back." Brennan said, scurrying to pick up the phone and end the high pitched screams.

"Hey Ange… Ange, what is it? What's wrong?" Brennan said, judging by the look on Brennan's face, he knew it couldn't be good.

"Oh." Was the only word Brennan could make out. She moved her eyes upward towards Booth's.

"It's Cam. She's gone."

* * *

_Sorry if that was too long - I guess I tried to make up for lost time!  
If you like it, please review!! I am a feedback junkie!!_


	7. A Plan

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! There will be one more chapter after this one, and I will post as soon as you review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones… only the storyline of this random fic!

Previously:  
_"Oh." Was the only word Brennan could make out. She moved her eyes upward towards Booth's.  
_"_It's Cam. She's gone."_

_

* * *

_

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Booth asked, his face pale but his eyes on fire.

"She escaped." Brennan said blankly, completely shocked by what had happened. This woman had already taken so much from her: her freedom, her safety, months of her life spent in rehabilitation, her good name, and Booth's place and safety as an agent.

The two were silent for a moment, Brennan stared at the ground and Booth continued to stare directly at Brennan. "Give me the phone." Booth said, retrieving the phone from Brennan.

"Ange, it's me Booth. Yeah I know… I don't know. Look, I need you to get that statement to Cullen somehow, and then I want you to stay in your house. Don't go out, do you understand? Cam will probably want to get as far away from DC as possible, but you can't take any chances. Just promise me you'll stay by the phone. OK. Yes I'll tell her. Thanks, Ange." Booth hung up the phone and ran his hand through his short brown hair.

"What are you thinking?" he finally asked Brennan.

"She's out." She replied simply. Booth nodded his head, realizing that this was extremely difficult for Brennan.

"C'mere" he said quietly, pulling Brennan into his warm embrace. She rested her head on his chest, and breathed in the scent of him. Being the ever-blunt Brennan that she was, she couldn't help but clarify. "This isn't a guy hug is it?" she mumbled into his chest.

He chuckled into her hair. "No Bones. Definitely not a guy hug."

"Just checking." she mumbled back. All of a sudden she felt Booth tense up around her. "Booth, what's wrong?" she asked, pulling back a little bit.

"Bones! That's it! I need to speak to Cullen."

"You're calling CULLEN?" She asked, shocked at the idea. "Booth, you do realize that if we do we'll have swarms of agents here within the hour."

"No, that's just it! Angela's given him the proof that you're innocent. Now all we need to do is redeem ourselves. Cam's our chance! If we can bring her back, then maybe…"

"..maybe we'd get another chance to redeem ourselves." She finished for him.

"Exactly. Look, I don't like it either, but we can't camp out on the highway forever."

Booth didn't wait for her to respond, he took the phone in his hand and took a deep breath and punched in the numbers he knew all too well. "Director Cullen's office please. Tell him Special Agent Booth needs to speak to him." 

* * *

Deputy Director Cullen was still in his office when he got wind that Seeley Booth was on the line. It was nearly midnight, but Cullen was still there trying to piece together their plan of attack. With Saroyan out of prison, things were getting far past the point of insanity. He'd received a fax from Angela Montenegro moments before the call came in. It was a document written by the hand of Saroyan, stating that she had framed Dr. Brennan in a last ditch attempt at revenge. Reading that document had perplexed Cullen beyond compare. Brennan really was innocent all this time, Booth was right after all. That still made no difference in Cullen's mind. They pair had still broken several federal laws, and would eventually be caught.

"Director Cullen, Special Agent Booth is on line 3."

"What?" Cullen shot up from his relaxed position in his chair and reached for the phone. "Get a trace!" he yelled back. Cullen waited a moment and picked up the phone.

"Booth" he barked. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you." Booth said tightly. Cullen wasn't quite sure if it was sarcasm or an apology. Either way, it didn't matter.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? You've just thrown away your career, lost any chance at –"

"Sir, have you received a message from Angela Montenegro?" He asked, ignoring what Cullen was saying.

"Yes Booth I did. Brennan may be innocent, but that's no excuse to go and break her out of holding!"

"Sir, with all due respect I did what I had to do, and I don't regret it for a second. But I have something I can offer you."

"Booth there is nothing you have that I want other than your location so we can haul you two back to Hoover."

"Sir, what if I told you we could find and apprehend Saroyan?" Booth said loudly. The line was silent for a moment, he was thinking.

"Are you telling me you have a lead?" Cullen inquired.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." Booth lied. He knew he had to make something up, this was their only chance and any kind of redemption. "But we want something in return."

"And what would that be?"

"A pardon from any federal charges we've accumulated over the past few days. Sir, I'm not asking for my job back. I'm not asking for anything other than saving Bone—Dr. Brennan and I rotting in some jail."

"Booth, as an act of faith I'm giving you 72 hours to get me Saroyan. After that, the deal's up and you'll face all the consequences.

"So you're saying that you'll accept the offer?" Booth said, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.

"I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying that if you want a chance at it, I suggest you go find Saroyan."

"We will, sir." Booth hung up the phone and glanced at Brennan who was trying to piece together the conversation from what she'd heard.

"We've got 72 hours to find Cam, and if we do it Cullen might grant us a pardon."

"Might? But Booth we don't even know where to look." Brennan said.

"That's not entirely true… besides, it's our last shot." 

* * *

Booth and Brennan headed back to the car, deciding it would be best if they slept for a while. They needed to be on the top of their game if they were going to find the mastermind behind this nightmare that had become their reality.

Reclining their seats, Booth nestled his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. It was very dark in the car, but it was almost as if he could hear Brennan thinking. She hadn't been herself since Angela had broken the news of Cam's escape, and it was obvious why. Brennan hated being needy – she hated being afraid.

"Bones stop thinking so hard." Booth whispered in the darkness, a little unsure if she was even awake.

"I can't help it" she replied, her voice full and alert – clearly not asleep. Booth knew her all too well.

"We'll find her, and she'll get what she deserves." He said, meaning every single word of it.

"I don't want to see her." Brennan said after a moment or two of silence. Booth didn't say anything at first, he just reached out for her hand, wrapping it protectively in his.

"I'll be with you." He finally said, searching for the words she needed to hear.

"You always are" she whispered back. With that, Booth slowly leant in and found Brennan's lips in the darkness. Their kiss was tentative at first, much like their first back on that night in the apartment.

Booth gently placed a hand behind her head, deepening the kiss as if trying to dissipate all of her fears, all of her doubts. It was working, as she moaned softly into his mouth encouraging him to continue. The passion between them was explosive; the adrenaline of their situation acting like gasoline to a fire that had been burning since the day they'd met.

It wasn't words that Temperance was searching for – it was his presence. It was knowing that there was at least one person in the world who could take all of her pain away in a single touch.


	8. Loyalty Like This

**A/N**: Hello -- sorry it took me like a million years to post! Here's the _last_ chapter, I hope you've all enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bones… only this storyline…

**Previously**: _Booth gently placed a hand behind her head, deepening the kiss as if trying to dissipate all of her fears, all of her doubts. It was working, as she moaned softly into his mouth encouraging him to continue. The passion between them was explosive; the adrenaline of their situation acting like gasoline to a fire that had been burning since the day they'd met.  
It wasn't words that Temperance was searching for – it was his presence. It was knowing that there was at least one person in the world who could take all of her pain away in a single touch._

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

It was the second day in a row that Brennan had awoken in Booth's arms – though their location in the car was significantly different than it had been in the motel. It was still extremely early, considering the sun was just rising, but Brennan knew they needed to get going before fellow commuters starting parking at this rest stop and noticed a beaten up car in the middle of the woods.

"Booth" she whispered into his chest.

"Uuhhn" Was the response he groaned. She gave him a few moments to regain coherent brain activity before slowly moving up to sit more fully in her own seat. Booth rubbed his eyes with one hand and straightened his seat.

"How did you sleep?" He asked. _Man I've always wanted to ask her that…  
_

"Like I was lying across another person in a car." She replied, which caused him to chuckle. She smirked back in return.

Booth took a gulp of water from his bottle and put the key in the ignition. "We'd better go. We've only got…67 hours left."

Brennan nodded her head. "So where do we start?" she asked.

"While you were sleeping last night I went and used the payphone and called an old buddy of mine. He said that a woman matching Cam's description was seen exiting a warehouse in Pennsylvania. He said he'd give us a head start before telling Cullen – you know, make it seem like we figured it out. You and me Bones? We're heading to Penn State."

"Pennsylvania?"

Booth nodded his head, "Just off the interstate. It's a long shot, but it's all we've got." Before steering their way out of the rest stop, Booth impulsively leaned over and kissed Brennan gently on the lips.

"What was that for?" she said with a grin.

"I forgot to say good morning. Good morning." He said with a matching grin, gunning up the engiene and driving towards the on ramp.

"Good morning." 

* * *

Angela paced back and forth in her living room. She hadn't slept much that night – she was getting so worried about Brennan and Booth, not to mention the fact that Cam was somewhere on the loose. It made her sick to think that the woman who had done such awful things to Brennan may never be caught. That just can't happen.

She had finally sunk down into her couch and reached for the remote to watch the news when she was startled by her ringing phone.

"Ms. Montenegro? This is Director Cullen."

"Is there any news on Booth and Brennan? Did you find Cam?"

"Cam is still missing, but I spoke to Agent Booth last night."

"You what?!" Angela asked, thinking that Booth was either incredibly stupid or had a mind blowing plan.

"It seems that he and Dr. Brennan have information regarding Dr. Saroyan's whereabouts."

_Definitely mind blowing plan. Nice one, G-Man._ Angela thought to herself.

Cullen continued, "I've agreed to entertain the possibility of granting the two a pardon if they are able to track her down."

Angela wanted to drive right to the Hoover Building and hug Cullen at that very moment. "Sir, that's so generous of you! Booth and Brennan only did what they thought –"

"Ms. Montenegro, I just said that I would consider it." He said quickly. He paused for a moment, noticing the sense of disappointing silence on the other end of the phone. "I just thought that you would want an update on the state of your friends." He said, his tone softening slightly.

"Thank you sir, I really appreciate it. Please let me know if there's anything I can do for them."

"I will." Cullen said, hanging up the phone and leaving Angela with the company of the dial tone. 

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Brennan said, stifling a yawn and readjusting herself in the seat for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

"You sound like Parker."

"I do not sound like a five year old boy, thank you very much."

"You're right. You sound like a five year old girl." Booth yawned.

Just then a green sign passed by their car, "Pennsylvania – 10 MILES" it read.

"So we need to think about how we handle this. Let's assume that she's at the warehouse. So we go in, take her down, and then while I cuff her you call the cops. Agreed?"

"Booth that's oversimplifying. I mean, 'take her down'? She's going to put up a fight, you do realize. I want a gun too."

"Yeah I don't blame you. But don't shoot her unless you have to – she's our bargaining chip remember."

"How could I forget…"

"So this is it?" Brennan asked, craning her neck to see a boarded up warehouse off the side of the road. It was a three storey building with hardly any windows – the place looked like it hadn't seen life in years.

"This is it." Booth confirmed, parking the car and then reaching for two guns that were resting on the back seat. "Here, take this. Look – whatever happens in there. Just remember that…"

"I know, me too." She finished for him. 

* * *

Brennan and Booth pressed their bodies up against the grimy outer wall of the warehouse, near the main entry door. Booth glanced at Brennan for a moment and then whipped around and kicked the door open.

Stepping inside, his gun leading him, Booth entered the musky building and scanned the immediate area. Brennan followed, keeping her gun aimed on the left side as Booth's was aimed on the right. Brennan's attention piqued at the sound of feet shuffling and stared at Booth with wide eyes. He nodded and motioned for her to follow him over to the source of the noise.

They walked slowly and carefully, each keeping their attention solely on the space in front of them.

Out of no where, Brennan heard footsteps and then a deafening smack as Booth was hit in the back of the head with a large pipe. He collapsed to the ground, his gun skittering out of his hand.

Without having any time to even shout his name, Brennan whirled around to catch a glimpse of their assailant.

Camille.

She raised the pipe again but Brennan ducked out of the way, forcing herself behind Cam as she kicked her in the back of the legs, sending her straight to the ground. Brennan tried to use that moment to rush to pick up Booth's gun, but Cam grabbed her feet and yanked hard, forcing Brennan harshly on the ground to her knees.

"Booth! Get up!" Temperance screamed. She then contorted her body to deliver a vicious kick to Cam's head, which she deflected.

"Did you really think this would end well?" Cam hissed as she and Brennan got to their feet. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." She continued as she plowed her fist into Brennan's face.

Brennan could feel the blood flow from her nose, yet she remained unfazed. She avoided the next of Cam's punches before delivering on of her own. Brennan pinned Cam against the wall, fast and hard.

"You witch. I want you to suffer just like I did." Brennan whispered, her voice shaking. "But you know what I want even more? To never see you again."

Cam smirked and knocked her head against Brennan's sending her straight down to the floor. While she was down, Cam grabbed the pipe and smacked her over and over – blow after blow each releasing more blood than the last.

In a final surge of adrenaline, Brennan rolled on her back and yanked the pipe out of Cam's hands, consequently throwing Cam to the floor as well. Brennan hit Cam as hard as she possibly could – putting as much energy and emotion that she could possibly muster. Cam remained motionless on the floor and Brennan stared at her motionless body once more before passing out right beside her. She'd done as much as she could do.

Booth opened his eyes slowly, trying to think of anything other than the vicious headache that felt like it was pulsing through his entire body. Then everything came back to him, "BONES!" he screamed to himself.

He wrenched his body off of the dusty floor and felt his heart stop at the sight in front of him. Camille lay face down on the ground with her two arms splayed in both directions. To her right, Brennan laid face up with blood caked to her angelic face.

As Booth rushed towards her he noticed the pipe in Brennan's hand. _She fought Cam off, she saved us both._ Booth thought to himself amazedly.

"Bones, Bones you've got to wake up for me." He pleaded, cradling her head in his arms. "Temperance come on, I know you're in there."

Booth's heart leapt to his throat when her long lashes began to flutter. "…Booth…" she breathed.

"Yeah, I'm here Bones. You did it, everything's gonna be fine."

"Cam?"

"She's right here, she's breathing." Booth said, glancing over to the other fallen woman.

Brennan slowly got up, with the help of Booth's strong arms. "Remember your plan?" she asked, assessing the damage to her tender face with her hands.

"Yeah?"

"This is the part where you cuff her and I call the cops right?"

Booth chuckled, then winced from the pain in his head. "Yup, this is definitely that part." 

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

One week later, Booth and Brennan sat in the deep cushioned chairs in Cullen's office. Booth had been cleared from the hospital with a minor concussion, and Brennan wore a bandage on her forehead where the pipe had struck. Other than a cut lip and lots of bruises, Brennan had escaped the warehouse death-match relatively unscathed.

Cullen cleared his throat. "Well, I'm guessing you two know why you're here."

"Yes sir." Booth said, answering for the both of them. _Of course we know why we're here…_

"Agent Booth, I'll start with you. You completely disregarded protocol. You abused your powers as a federal agent, and broke a suspect out of federal custody, and you evaded the law on countess occasions. And you, Dr. Brennan, never cease to amaze me. Why on earth would you ever accept this crazed man's help if you knew you were innocent?"

"Excuse me? He's not crazed. And I did it because I trust him. You just can't question loyalty like that, not when there's so much to loose." She replied coolly, meeting Cullen's stare with equal intensity.

"Dr. Brennan you have obviously been cleared of your previous charges with the help of Ms. Montenegro. But this brings me to my next issue. I stated that the FBI would consider a pardon if you were able to locate and apprehend Dr. Saroyan. You did this, I must say, with a startling degree of effectiveness. She's been locked back up in a maximum facility prison and only sustained a concussion. After much deliberation…"

Booth's mind wandered for a moment. After everything that he and Bones had been through over the past year, he prayed that it wouldn't all be for nothing. He prayed that they could finally live in peace and not constantly be running for their lives and the lives of those they loved. He prayed that she would let him love her – that she would never forget the things he'd done and the words he'd said to her. Every word was true, every kiss was real. Booth didn't regret breaking her out that night so long ago, and he would certainly do it all over again if he had to. He realized that he would do anything for this woman, anything to make her feel loved. Please give us a chance…

"… the FBI is admitting you a full pardon regarding your actions. You will not appear in the court of law. You will not serve jail time for your offenses."

Both Booth and Brennan exhaled at the same time, quickly looking at each other before remembering they had to remain wearing a façade of professionalism… for a little while longer anyway.

Cullen continued to speak of the conditions of their pardon, but Booth didn't listen and he grabbed Brennan's hand from under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. She returned the gesture and he could see her smile out of the corner of his eye.

Yes, he would do it all over again. He would do anything to keep this woman safe.

**_THE END  
Thanks for reading:-)  
_**


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